Marie-Line Manchon presented her 5250 modernization experience in the last RPG & DB2 Summit in Paris. You'll discover in this presentation not only how she transformed green screens into ergonomics, flexible and user-friendly graphic applications, but also, how the modernized applications facilitate interactions with PCs, office tools, etc.

1. EXPERIENCE FEEDBACK – WMG INFORMATIQUE / ALLWAN SILVERDEV MODERNISATION PROJECT RPG & DB2 SUMMIT 2012
Experience feedback
Modernisation project with
BY WMG INFORMATIQUE / ALLWAN

2. EXPERIENCE FEEDBACK – WMG INFORMATIQUE / ALLWAN SILVERDEV MODERNISATION PROJECT RPG & DB2 SUMMIT 2012
BEFORE…
SITUATION IN 2006
• Management IT applications in 5250 mode
• Ergonomics degraded by the various “patches”: overloaded
screens
• Web communication but no office tool communication

3. EXPERIENCE FEEDBACK – WMG INFORMATIQUE / ALLWAN SILVERDEV MODERNISATION PROJECT RPG & DB2 SUMMIT 2012
“BEFORE…”
USER REQUESTS
• To have graphic screens
• To have as much information as possible in an optimised
space
• To be able to archive and consult customer documents
(contracts, letters, etc.)

4. EXPERIENCE FEEDBACK – WMG INFORMATIQUE / ALLWAN SILVERDEV MODERNISATION PROJECT RPG & DB2 SUMMIT 2012
HOW TO MODERNISE THE EXISTING SYSTEM?
CONSTRAINTS
• Improve ergonomics without affecting the stability and
robustness of the applications
• Continue to use System i to its full potential
• Interact with user PCs without having to migrate to Windows
applications

5. EXPERIENCE FEEDBACK – WMG INFORMATIQUE / ALLWAN SILVERDEV MODERNISATION PROJECT RPG & DB2 SUMMIT 2012
HOW TO MODERNISE THE EXISTING SYSTEM?
CHOICE OF SILVERDEV
• Everything is stored and runs on System i
• Only an emulator is installed on the client workstation, and it
takes less than 30 seconds
• 100% graphic applications
• Interaction possible with PCs, use of printers, office tools,
PC/IFS exchanges

6. EXPERIENCE FEEDBACK – WMG INFORMATIQUE / ALLWAN SILVERDEV MODERNISATION PROJECT RPG & DB2 SUMMIT 2012
HOW TO MODERNISE THE EXISTING SYSTEM?
CHOICE OF SILVERDEV
• Design using the drag/drop method that is familiar to
developers
• RPG IV language
• Personal contact with the technical team
• We speak the same language

7. EXPERIENCE FEEDBACK – WMG INFORMATIQUE / ALLWAN SILVERDEV MODERNISATION PROJECT RPG & DB2 SUMMIT 2012
THE RESULTS, OR “AFTER…”
FIRST STEP: EXTRACTIONS
Conditional formatting

8. EXPERIENCE FEEDBACK – WMG INFORMATIQUE / ALLWAN SILVERDEV MODERNISATION PROJECT RPG & DB2 SUMMIT 2012
THE RESULTS, OR “AFTER…”
Links and images clickable in “web” mode

9. EXPERIENCE FEEDBACK – WMG INFORMATIQUE / ALLWAN SILVERDEV MODERNISATION PROJECT RPG & DB2 SUMMIT 2012
THE RESULTS, OR “AFTER…”
FINAL STEP: REWORKING THE INTERACTIONS
“AS400-like” action buttons with
keyboard shortcut
Lines can be moved by drag/drop
Automatic printing
and export to
Excel

10. EXPERIENCE FEEDBACK – WMG INFORMATIQUE / ALLWAN SILVERDEV MODERNISATION PROJECT RPG & DB2 SUMMIT 2012
THE RESULTS, OR “AFTER…”
File present in the IFS:
button to request
display
File present in the IFS:
miniature

11. EXPERIENCE FEEDBACK – WMG INFORMATIQUE / ALLWAN SILVERDEV MODERNISATION PROJECT RPG & DB2 SUMMIT 2012
THE RESULTS, OR “AFTER…”
Excel export
via POI
Call to generate
Word lists in RPG
Wait screen or
progress bar

12. EXPERIENCE FEEDBACK – WMG INFORMATIQUE / ALLWAN SILVERDEV MODERNISATION PROJECT RPG & DB2 SUMMIT 2012
FUTURE PERSPECTIVES
•Validation of the choice made
•Perenniality of our investment in research, training, module
creation
•Improved productivity and return on investment for our
customers
•Easy training for developers of all generations, who have
welcomed the tool with great enthusiasm
•Plenty more modernisation projects to come, each one using
SilverDev